Former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey recently revealed the reason behind the team management and selectors choosing Suryakumar Yadav as the captain of the T20I team. Paras Mhambrey claimed that Suryakumar Yadav can play for India for a long time in T20 and described him as a maestro in the shortest format.

Suryakumar Yadav was appointed as the captain of India in T20I during Rahul Dravid’s tenure. Yadav led the Indian team in two series right after the 2023 ODI World Cup. The middle-order batsman guided the national team to victory over Australia. India managed to draw the series in South Africa under Surya’s captaincy.

Hardik Pandya was named vice-captain after returning to the squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Veteran opener Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from T20Is after the Men in Blue ended an 11-year ICC trophy drought. The selectors announced Suryakumar Yadav as captain despite Hardik’s presence in the T20 squad.

One of the best in this format: Paras Mhambrey

Paras Mhambrey said that the team management will prefer a captain who can play all the series for the Indian cricket team. Mhambrey said that Suryakumar Yadav is one of the best batsmen in the T20 format right now.

“First and foremost, when you pick a captain, you expect him to play every match in that format. We, the coaches and the selectors, have always believed that this is a player who will have a long future in the T20 format. He has mastered that skill. He is one of the best in this format. He and Klaasen are maybe one or two in T20Is now based on their current form. The sheer impact he has in winning matches for India is phenomenal,” Mhanbrey told Hindustan Times.

Suryakumar won the race against Hardik Pandya for the T20I captaincy as the team management wanted a captain who could remain injury-free and be available for all matches. Hardik suffered an ankle injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup, which kept him out of competitive cricket for a few months.

Yadav lacked experience as a captain at the international level and in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 33-year-old cricketer had previously captained Mumbai in domestic cricket. However, both the previous and current team management agreed that Surya was the ideal candidate to replace Rohit Sharma in the T20Is.

Suryakumar Yadav is very friendly with everyone – Paras Mhambrey

Mhambrey highlighted that Suryakumar Yadav is closer to the youngsters in the Indian team and added that he is very friendly with everyone. The former Indian bowling coach claimed that Suryakumar can be a mentor to younger players, considering his experience.

“He has been with the team. I have seen him interacting with the youngsters. On one hand, we had Rohit and Virat, guys who are stalwarts, and then we have Surya, who is experienced but is probably even closer to the youngsters. He is very friendly with everyone. He has that respect from the younger ones. The youngsters need to interact with him, he is good at that. So, he has a good bond with everyone in the team. He has come up through the ranks, so he is very experienced and a smart cricketer.”

Suryakumar Yadav’s tenure as permanent T20I captain will begin with the three-match series against Sri Lanka. The first T20I match between India and Sri Lanka is scheduled for Saturday, July 27. The match will be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

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